Pedal for Purple

Bob Stroh with team

Pictured: Bob Stroh along with Richard and Janice Johnson, members of the “Chain Gang” group that Bob rides with most often.

Last year, when Bob Stroh’s wife of 45 years, Helen, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, he knew he had to act at once. So he got involved with the Charlottesville chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Through them, he learned about the Longest Day, a fundraising initiative that coincides with the summer solstice. “I decided I wanted to do my own Longest Day Challenge, and I had a lot of success with it,” Stroh says.

Stroh, already an avid cyclist, rode 100 miles with family members and friends in June 2017 and raised $3,500 for Alzheimer’s Disease awareness and research. The ride was so successful that he decided to organize a larger one. The High Bridge Ride is a 31-mile ride to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. It is slated for April 21, 2018, and will take place at High Bridge Trail State Park near Farmville.

“It is a remarkably beautiful trail,” Stroh says. “I wanted to make the bike ride interesting for people. I wanted to do something different.”

Stroh’s sisters and the other members of the Chain Gang Bike team that he rides with every weekend have chipped in to help with the event, creating a website for the ride and promoting it on social media.

“The support has been so amazing,” Stroh says. “The staff I’ve been working with at the Alzheimer’s Association have been very encouraging. They have been phenomenal.”

Stroh has been cycling since he was a child. He’s ridden for other causes as well, including the Tour de Cure for the American Diabetes Association, the Tour de Midnight for the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia, and Bike MS for the National MS Society.

“I love biking,” he says. “I find it freeing and rewarding in every way.”

Stroh also enjoys giving back to his community. He’s volunteered through his church and for Habitat for Humanity. While working with the Charlottesville Parking Center, he helped start the Downtown Business Association, and he later served as president of the Virginia Downtown Development Association.

“Through the Virginia Downtown Development Association, I had the pleasure of working all over the state, and in the process I got some great bike rides in,” he says.

Now that he’s retired, his focus is on spending time with his wife and helping in her fight against Alzheimer’s Disease. He hopes the High Bridge Ride will have a great impact. The ride is open to anyone, regardless of age or skill.

“I hope for this to be a significant ride,” he says. “I want this to be a great experience for everyone. I want this to be the best ride for the riders and for the Alzheimer’s Association.”